Warranty Coverage

[Old smart]

From another thread on 17" wheels"

One more thing...

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I think somebody posted already that Penske hasn't approved the use of any aftermarket items, including wheels, at this point. So, if you put 'em on and have trouble later I think PAG will deny any warranty coverage.

John

I would think that the basic warranty is a factory warranty. Can PAG, as the distributor only, affect warranty decisions; where does a distributor fit in the food chain between the manufacturer and the owner? I have had warranty issues handled at the dealership, and then a regional manager, but the R/M represented the manufacturer. I wonder if smart GmbH will have their own man on the ground here in the U.S.?

[Fredvon4]

Interesting point and I think soon we will know more...(I hope)

Rational modifications like 17" rims and modestly wider tires seeking to reduce the understeer should pose no ill effects on suspension, bearings, steering assy, or power train...

I am concerned that 3 to 5 lug adapters, spacers, improper offset and much larger or smaller diameter tires can all have increased leverage and ill effects to the above mentioned areas

Fortunately the semi high performance idiots like me are a small minority of Smart Car aficionados so warranty claims should not be so great as to get MB to over react in denial of claims for ANY un-authorized modification

Ford had to get real heavy handed in Large truck warranty issues with the diesel powered superduties... A simple chip mod could nearly double the HP and Torque...

The factory 4R100 tranny was not up to the task and too many claims by owners who simply set the PCM back to factory tune and then made the claim for a new $5000 trany...

FoMoCo not stupid... They installed ways to detect tampering with factory tune...

Unfortunate side effect was many claims denied to owners who got chips just to enhance heavy towing performance (increase in performance was within factory trany specs) and tranny died a unnatural death because there did exist internal flaws....

Bottom line was the modders caused the Manufacturer to react fairly harsh causing some legitimate warranty concerns to be denied

This is why I preach loud and long about personal responsibility... If I broke it I expect to have to pay to get it fixed... not fair to cause Manufacture increased costs that get passed back to ALL owners...

You never really screw the big bad conglomerate evil empire...

[Carlssonpro]

I think somebody posted already that Penske hasn't approved the use of any aftermarket items, including wheels, at this point. So, if you put 'em on and have trouble later I think PAG will deny any warranty coverage.

John
A manufactor cannot deny an warranty coverage on a vehicle because it has wheels. It has to prove that the wheels caused a failure, say bearings,( This is of course after the fact, not before the wheels were installed) This is covered under the Magnuson-Moss act, here are a few good links

Keeping Your Mod's Warranty Intact - For Dummies

Ravelco Anti Theft Device